Friday, 16 December 2016

Even the grinchiest of grinches can no longer ignore the fact that Christmas will soon be here with only just over a week to go!

A lot of people will still have some gifts to buy so if you're struggling for ideas why not book a quick getaway to Brighton & Hove to get the Christmas shopping all wrapped up? If you have already bought all your gifts then why not come down and get a reward for yourself? 😉 The city is truly a shopper's paradise with hundreds of independent traders as well as the big name brands.

With so many shops to explore it can be difficult to know where to start so to give you a hand every day up to Chrismtas Eve we will share a different gift idea on Twitter and Instagram. To see the 4 ideas we've shared so far search #12DaysofShopping and make sure you are following @Love_Brighton on Twitter and @visit.brighton on instagram.

Monday, 12 December 2016

Today we welcome another guest poster, travel writer Rohit Agarwal picks his 5 favourite things you can only see in Brighton & Hove....

One of England’s most vibrant cities perched upon the seaside is Brighton, which is a popular tourist destination when it comes to weekend getaways. Shopping, festivals, nightlife, regal architecture, beaches and piers with arcades and amusement activities have all collectively made Brighton quite the tourist attraction in England. It being an hour away from London by train also helps if you’re thinking of a single day trip, which is usually what people choose to go by. With Brighton’s charming sights to see, here are some things that can only be thoroughly enjoyed in Brighton.

1. North Laine Graffiti

Brighton prides itself on its incredible art that it inherits from the classical era where art was highly prevalent. It would only be natural for Brighton to have some contemporary street art that is so brilliant that you’d end up spending hours admiring the intricate work that street artists have created on the walls of North Laine. Along with North Laine being the most popular spot of Brighton what with its markets, restaurants and cafes, gift shops, hotels, and vintage stores and exhibits, the street art and graffiti blends into the appealing factors of the city. The most talented of artists and painters have designed spectacular art on the walls of North Laine, and don’t be surprised if you find an artist or two high up on a ladder spray painting their time away. It’ll be an unforgettable sight to see in Brighton, which is why North Laine is such a popular part of the seaside city.

2. Choccywoccydoodah

What’s not to like when there’s a perfect blend of art and chocolate? This amazing chocolate dedicated place in Brighton goes by calling itself a ‘chocolaterie’, which brings together some of the best artists creating unusual chocolate combos and delicacies that one just can’t forget easily. They not only have expert artists and bakers working on their famous wedding cakes, chocolate toys, chocolate sculptures, gifts, pets and almost everything under the sun. You ask for it and Choccywoccydoodah will have their team working on providing you with the best chocolate experience you will ever have in your life. This is Brighton’s most popular and interesting place among the other equally amazing things one can do. But since it’s chocolate, there’s really nothing else a chocolate lover would rather do than head over to Choccywoccydoodah for an indulgent time with chocolate.

3. Brighton Dome Events

Flaming Lips Concert at Brighton Dome: Credit - Victor Frankowski

Whether it is classical arts, indulgence of heritage and history, the Brighton festival of arts, or splendid performances including those of theatre, dance, music, literature, comedy, film, and visual arts among many others, Brighton Dome has everything for everyone. Events take place every month with a lot of interesting opportunities for tourists to enjoy, where one can experience creations of traditional and classic artists but also contemporary dancers, musicians, theatre performers and the likes. There are endless things to experience at Brighton Dome, which is why it’s such an unavoidable place in the city that every tourist visits at least once.

4. Annual Brighton Marathon

You can either participate or just watch the annual Brighton Marathon which is held every year in April during the month’s first weekend. Over 150,000 onlookers are present during the marathon that goes across the seafront, making it one of the most amazing weekends a visitor spends in Brighton. If you’re a participant, you get to run across the smoothest and fastest marathon course with some of the best sights of Brighton at your fingertips. The route consists of stops like the North Laine, the Pier, the Royal Pavilion, Kemp Town etc. which is quite exciting to witness during the annual marathon.

5. The Royal Pavilion

This uniquely built home of Prince George, the Prince of Wales, between the 1700s to the 1800s, the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture in the Royal Pavilion is an unusual sight in Brighton. The rooms inside the royal home depict the different eras of the British lifestyle, and the outer portion of the Royal Pavilion bears a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal in India. The Royal Pavilion was built in the Regency period of the British era represents the awfully luxurious lifestyle that the British royal families enjoyed during their time, and with the rooms displaying the very crux of British standard of living, it’s certainly an interesting sight to visit in Brighton. The Royal Pavilion is no longer used as a residence, and is now open to the public as a museum.

There is so much more a tourist can do while at Brighton, what with its endless opportunities of enjoyment during a weekend getaway, but if you’ve got the time, hit the above places and you’ll have yourself some great pictures!

Author Bio:

As an avid traveller, Rohit’s experiences have been recorded on www.transindiatravels.com to share with like-minded travellers and enthusiastic tourists.

Wednesday, 7 December 2016

The Dark Star Brewing Co. has opened its latest pub, The Lockhart Tavern, in Haywards Heath, West Sussex.

Now the Lockhart, on The Broadway, Haywards Heath has undergone extensive refurbishment overseen by designer, Adrian Fillary who has transformed it into a vibrant and cool venue offering a huge range of local and regional beers, ales and an extensive wine list.

Commenting, Dark Star Director, James Cuthbertson, said: “It’s taken longer than we’d originally envisaged to get this site together, but I think the result is stunning. It was clear from when we started looking at the site that we needed to extend the building as well as completely rip-out and refurbish the original shell.”

Adding: “I think we’ve created something pretty special. We have six cask beers, ten keg beers, a wide range of spirits and an amazing wines list. Our food offer is best described as ‘pub classics’, a range of from fish and chips through to a lamb curry, all made fresh on site out of our open kitchen”.

The VisitBrighton team and friends came down to try some of the brewery’s beers and also some excellent wines. A favourite was definitely the Dark Star Espresso beer made with fresh Arabica coffee from Brighton’s Red Roaster, a zingy and warming combination all at the same time!

There is also a fantastic food menu from delicious bar snacks like welsh rarebit and sausage roles; small plates such as crab toast and jerk chicken wings and large plates including rib-eye steak, burgers and of course Sunday roast. All dishes use fresh, local ingredients, are made on site and cooked to order.

Whilst all of the Dark Star pubs are very different, there are two common threads which hold them together: the love of great beer from the great breweries we’re lucky enough to have in this country, and the provision of a place for people to get together and share life experiences.

Monday, 5 December 2016

Today we hand over to antoher guest poster. Anne-Marie will give us an insight into the special festive edition of MADE BRIGHTON....

We are thrilled to be organising a one day, table top, craft and design fair. MADE BRIGHTON at St Bartholomew’s Church will take place on 10th December. We have selected sixty-five contemporary designer / makers selling their handmade work direct to you.

We’ve got ceramics, jewellery, homewares, glass, woodwork, textiles, screen-prints and more, with a full range of prices to ensure there is something for everyone. For stocking fillers, The Black Rabbit will be bringing her knitted media mittens, Forge Creative will have a huge selection of their hand turned wooden trees and Louise Loder will be bringing her mix and match silver and black stud earrings.

For Christmas gifts, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Warm and cosy knitwear by Prilly Lewis, snug and toasty felt slippers by Onstail and knitted scarves and accessories by Jo Cranston. If you’re looking for jewellery, we got a fantastic selection of unique pieces, plus beautiful functional ceramics as well as statement porcelain pieces for the home (keep an eye out for wallflowerlondon).

If you’re stuck for a gift for him, take a look at the really stunning handmade carbon steel kitchen knives by Two Stick Forge, the fabulous hand turned lamps by Sarah Lock and leather goods by Paula Kirkwood and Wolfram Lohr.

St Bartholomew’s Church on Ann Street is just a 5-minute walk from Brighton Station. The church is a stunning late Victorian Byzantine inspired building, known to some as the Noah’s Ark Church, because of the local legend that it was built to the same dimensions as the Ark. St Bartholomew’s is an awe-inspiring space; the tallest parish church in Europe.

The show is open from 10.30am – 6pm. Entry price £4.50.

Just opposite the church at 51 Providence Place, our new shop Atelier 51 will be open selling crafts and design from an array of best quality makers.